Paul
Posted by Mainstream Chick on March 17, 2011
Here’s the deal: If you’re old enough to remember – or at least have a fondness for movies like Alien, Close Encounters, E.T., Escape to Witch Mountain, and Galaxy Quest, then trust me– you will find this movie downright hilarious – and heartwarming.
Paul is a vulgar yet sweet homage to the science fiction classics. It was written by, and stars Nick Frost and Simon Pegg (Sean of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) as Graeme and Clive, two British comic-book geeks traveling across the western U.S. in an RV after attending the ultimate geekfest, Comic-Con. Their road trip gets sidetracked when they encounter a smart-ass alien (Paul, voiced by Seth Rogen) while sightseeing near Area 51. Paul has escaped from a top-secret military installation, where he’s been “consulting” for the U.S. government (and the entertainment industry) since crash landing on Earth 60 years earlier.
Paul enlists Graeme and Clive’s help in eluding a trio of “men in black” (including Jason Bateman as the straight-laced agent in charge) so he can rendezvous with his mother ship, and finally return home. Along the way, the merry band of misfits mistakenly kidnap – and endear themselves to- a fundamentalist Christian (Kristen Wiig) whose bible-thumping, gun-toting father is also hot on their trail. 
The movie is directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) who’s become an expert on transforming nerds into heroes on the big screen. Paul is a sci-fi adventure comedy that garners its “R” rating primarily through the abundant use of the F-word. But what can I say? It’s an effin good ride.
2 Comments
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I love science fiction and I love comedies; therefore there is nothing as delightful to me as a movie that blends these two genres. I may have been suffering from “high expectation syndrome”, but Paul is no Shawn of the Dead. The trailers promised so much hilarity and the movie did not deliver. I am very sad to say this…Paul is not worth the cost of the theater ticket. Diehard fans of Nick Frost and Simon Pegg should rent it to satisfy your curiosity. Everyone else… save your money.
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I went with my 13 year-old nephew and neither of us was blown away. When it was over, he mostly just wanted to get home and watch Zombieland again. I’ve already forgotten most of what Paul was about. I pretty much agree with Jane; wait for the DVD.
